Squad Laser Assault Weapon
Overview
The Squad Laser Assault Weapon, or more commonly, SLAW, is an experimental weapon developed for Kaukolastan by Armatech Industries, designed for the Next Generation Army project. The SLAW was designed as a heavy support weapon utilizing the latest in superconducting materials and high energy research. Projecting a beam a decimeter in diameter for coherence at up to three hundred meters, it can ablate the armor of all but the heaviest glacis plate, is capable of vaporizing a foot of steel in five seconds, and can hold a steady beam for up to thirty seconds in duration at full power, the SLAW is truly a terrorizing force on the battlefield. The Doctrinal usage of the SLAW is as a LAV-mounted weapon, drawing power from an internal reactor, to be moved in a sweeping motion over the combat area to clear out enemy infantry and light armor as the mobile force advances. Used in concert with LAV mounted LOSAT batteries, the SLAW will allow the mobile force to pin and decimate a heavier, slower force.
Power Plant
The SLAW is a terawatt electrical laser, requiring a micro-fusion reactor to generate the energy needed to fire the beam. This “reactor” is actually a controlled Pure Fusion explosion, generated inside of a magnetic cocoon. A high energy superconductor spins a static charge, gained from a powering unit in the logistical “home” of the unit deploying the SLAW, and tubes of Deuterium/Tritium mixture are loaded into the generator just before deployment.
As the weapon is fired, the stored energy fires an ion beam down the length of the generator, and a trickle of the Deuterium/Tritium mixture is injected into the ion stream. The reaction gained is confined by a high energy magnetic field from the superconducting cocoon, which in turn gains power from the spinning field (driven by the reaction). Most of the energy is turned back into itself, powering the field and beam, but a portion, a massive portion, is diverted into the Beam Chamber.
The Power Plant can hold a continuous charge for thirty seconds, at which point the reaction begins to cascade and automatic lockdowns come into effect, preventing a catastrophic meltdown. It is impossible to fire the weapon for thirty seconds during this overload phase, and during the downtime on the weapon, the remaining charge is stored back into the cocoon, while the coolant is flushed through the materials.
There is enough fuel mixture to allow the SLAW to fire for a combined duration of half an hour, allowing the operator sixty full length streams, or numerous bursts of power.
Beam Chamber
Resembling a large tube hanging from the connecting coils from the Power Plant, the Beam Chamber is where the raw energy generated is translated into focused destruction. The ultraviolet electrical laser is generated here, while cooling is provided from both pumped coolant from the pack and massive fins and vanes hanging from the Emitter. The beam is focused with massive cooked carbon lenses, manufactured to .001 microns of perfection in surface, and possessing perfect clarity. These special lenses take months to produce, even with the advent of nanoconstruction, and must be built in facilities normally utilized for space telescopic instruments. As such, the SLAW is not an expendable weapon, but the price is needed to withstand the sheer power of the beam emitted long enough to focus the energy.
As the ultraviolet laser moves through the beam, the reactive mirrors adjust to keep the focus optimal, and the coolant flow moves the heat to the external fins. The beam, though appearing “constant”, actually flickers at rate of six kilohertz, pulsating through the adjusting chamber to both allow the ranging devices to adjust the beam, to extend the range, and to maximize the “cook off” damage as the beam impacts moisture or materials.
The Beam Chamber can hold a steady firing for a duration of approximately fifty seconds, so it is never pushed to the limit, as the Power Plant will automatically flush after thirty seconds of continuous operation. During the recharge, the Beam Chamber will be flushed to allow for cooling and automatic recalibration.
Operation
The Power Plant is mounted in the vehicle, while the Beam Chamber is mounted onto a special 90 degree turret, connected by the cables and coolant tubes. The weapon is operated by a pintle-mount dual grip, and the weapon’s status is relayed via digital display to the operator. A simple laser sight is mounted below the weapon to track the beam, and the aiming is simple look/shoot/kill do to the LOS nature of the weapon.
It is not recommended to “burn out” the weapon on every shot, but war gaming has shown this to be the normal usage, as most operators tend to simply depress the trigger and sweep the beam over the field of battle until the cutoff is initiated. The original prototype did not possess the emergency flush systems, but the demonstrated results of the overheating reactor and melting lenses convinced Armatech to install said safety systems.
Do to its nature, TRADOC insists that a damaged or unknown-condition SLAW should not be utilized, or the operator risk a beam-failure inside the weapon, with dire consequences for the surrounding units. The SLAW must be taken care of with extreme precision, and it is recommended that every unit receive a refit after engagement. Extra mirrors will be available at Quartermasters Facilities at all times, and all operators should be trained in the correct installation procedures.
Despite the complexity and delicacy of manufacture, field maintenance of the SLAW is not as rigorous as would be expected, but still intense. Most of the weapon’s systems are self-calibrating, and replacement parts can be installed in about thirty minutes of concentrated effort. Should a weapon fail on the battlefield, it should be stowed and repaired at the Home Base, rather than attempting a field repair.
AISAS Program
Do to the weight and size of the SLAW, no infantry unit can carry it, and it is limited to mounted usage. However, with the Advanced Individual Soldier Assault System Project, there is the possibility of producing a backpack version of the SLAW, as the AISAS prototype chassis would be capable of carrying upwards of four tons of weight. This project is being followed up upon for future testing under the ARES BattleNet System.
